About IHTF 2019

To understand the nature of heritage, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has divided heritage into two categories; natural heritage and cultural heritage. Natural heritage is natural features such as geological and physiographical formations. It also includes protected areas where the threatened species (i.e flora and fauna) live and natural sites with a value of science, conservation, and natural beauty point of view (UNESCO, 1972). Furthermore, UNESCO also defined cultural heritage as the legacy in the form of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of certain society (i.e tradition) which are inherited from past generations, preserved in the present, and considered beneficial for the future generations. Another definition that needs to be highlighted is Ashworth’s definition of heritage (2014). He noted that heritage is not just an object or site; instead, it is a process, an experience which can be consumed. Heritage is a contemporary activity selected from some aspects in the past which are treated as potential resources for the construction of contemporary products made purposefully to fulfill the current and future needs

The paradigm of heritage and tourism mostly about dichotomies between preservation and utilization. There is a high demand to protect heritage from conservationist, yet, heritage is not immune from commodification since the consumption of heritage is an essential part of tourism itself.  Disagreement among stakeholder is, indeed, inevitable. However, there should be an awareness that within the interface process between heritage and tourism there are a lot of differences in who is involved and available general approaches to the topic through different paradigms. Even heritage can bring plenty of advantages of being multi-used resources and multi-sold product, there is potential disadvantages of competition, contradiction, and conflicts between uses and users (Ashworth, 2014).  Therefore, there should be an agreement among stakeholders about utilization and conservation to avoid un/expected problems in the future. Therefore, there should be an agreement between stakeholder about utilization and conservation to avoid a potential problem in the future. Moreover, the development of both sectors requires a comprehensive concept with a multi-sector approach to understand the nature of tourism and heritage and to synthesize heritage and tourism to become one, which is as heritage tourism.

Indonesia has an enormous number of diverse natural and cultural heritage which is potential for the tourism industry. UNESCO recorded that Indonesia has each 4 natural and cultural world heritage and also 20 sites on the tentative list. Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture also describes that are about 66.513 heritages in national levels and numerous numbers of heritage remain unexposed.  Those statements above should become motivations for Indonesia’s heritage tourism stakeholders to develop their heritage tourism which can be a model and example for national heritage tourism development. However, management and conservation of heritage tourism in Indonesia are done separately by different institutions which becomes one of the core issues that need to be solved. Even among scholars and researchers, a lot of researches about heritage tourism have been conducted without a multidisciplinary framework. Furthermore, collaboration and integration systems which require involved stakeholders should become important aspects to be achieved for tourism sustainable development especially in heritage tourism. With both collaboration and integration systems applied, it is possible to expand the innovation, research, and also benefits for each stakeholder to gain the quality of heritage tourism itself.

The sub-theme of this event will give scholars, practitioners and stakeholders new insight about the core problems which occur in the current situation of Indonesia’s heritage tourism. Henceforth, this forum will be held annually. The given theme will be based on the urgency of each year’s situation. Those subthemes are Theory and Concept; Politic, regulation, policy; innovative product and technology development; strategic marketing and communication; and Community engagement and development. With focusing on those topics, we expected that we can unify heritage and tourism both in theory and praxis level to bring advantages for involved stakeholders in heritage tourism.

Concerning to this case, Universitas Gadjah Mada will hold the first international heritage tourism forum in Indonesia, entitled “Indonesia Heritage Tourism Forum: Synthesizing Heritage and Tourism” which offers the opportunities for all scholars to develop a concept, stimulate discussion, exchange ideas and conduct research about synthesizing heritage tourism management and conservation.

There will be third keynote speakers on the conference that will present on stadium general. The first keynote speaker is Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay (on confirmation), and the second keynote speaker is Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili (on confirmation), and the third speaker is Prof. Stephen W. Boyd from Ulster University, UK and Prof. Michael Lueck from Auckland Technology University, New Zealand.

The panel discussion will be conducted by presenting three to four panelists that is led by a moderator. The panelists are from the participant who past the selection to be the presenter. There will be four sessions for a panel discussion in three parallel rooms.